11070967

Network Nodes and Methods Performed Therein for Enabling Communication in a Communication Network

PublishedJuly 20, 2021
Assigneenot available in USPTO data we have
Technical Abstract

Patent Claims
20 claims

Legal claims defining the scope of protection, as filed with the USPTO.

1

1. A method performed by a second network node for enabling communication for a wireless device in a communication network, wherein the communication network comprises a first network and a second network, wherein the second network node is associated with the second network and the first network is a home network of the wireless device, wherein the first network comprises partitioned sets of functionalities, and wherein a first network slice supports the wireless device, the method comprising: when the wireless device is roaming from the first network to the second network, initiating a connection establishment to a first network node associated with the first network; retrieving a policy indication from the first network node, wherein the policy indication indicates the first network slice and a roaming policy for the wireless device in the first network, wherein a first set of functionalities belongs to the first network slice supporting the wireless device, and wherein the first set of functionalities is separated from another set of functionalities out of a total set of functionalities in the first network; and triggering a selection of a second network slice and a roaming policy for the wireless device in the second network based on the retrieved policy indication and internal data related to the second network, wherein the internal data comprises at least a slice capability of the second network, and wherein triggering the selection comprises: comparing and analyzing the retrieved first network slice and the roaming policy for the wireless device in the first network and one or more local network slices and roaming policies; and determining that the second network slice and the roaming policy for the wireless device in the second network are a preferred network slice and a preferred roaming policy for the wireless device in the second network.

2

2. The method according to claim 1 , further comprising receiving a connection request from the wireless device comprising a slice indication, wherein the slice indication indicates the first network slice, and wherein the triggered selection is further based on the slice indication.

3

3. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the retrieving comprises: transmitting, to the first network node, a policy request requesting retrieval of the policy indication, wherein the policy request comprises data related to the second network and/or wireless device information of the wireless device; and receiving the policy indication from the first network node.

4

4. The method according to claim 1 , further comprising: performing the selection of the second network slice and the roaming policy for the wireless device in the second network; and initiating a transmission of a response to the wireless device, wherein the response is taking the selected second network slice and the selected roaming policy into account.

5

5. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the triggering further comprises suggesting a suggested network slice and a suggested roaming policy for the wireless device in the second network based on the retrieved policy indication and the internal data related to the second network, and wherein the suggested network slice and the suggested roaming policy is transmitted to a radio access network node associated with the second network.

6

6. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the retrieved policy indication further comprises a slice capability for the wireless device in the first network.

7

7. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium, having stored thereon a computer program comprising instructions which, when executed on at least one processor, cause the at least one processor to carry out the method according to claim 1 , as performed by the second network node.

8

8. A method performed by a first network node for enabling communication for a wireless device in a communication network, wherein the communication network comprises a first network and a second network, wherein the first network is a home network of the wireless device, wherein the first network comprises partitioned sets of functionalities, and wherein a first network slice supports the wireless device, the method comprising: when the wireless device is roaming from the first network to the second network, receiving a request for a connection establishment to a second network node associated with the second network; receiving, from the second network node, a policy request requesting retrieval of a policy indication, wherein the policy request comprises data related to the second network, and wherein the data comprises at least a slice capability of the second network; generating the policy indication based on the data related to the second network and information of the first network for the wireless device; and providing the policy indication to the second network node, wherein the policy indication indicates the first network slice and a roaming policy for the wireless device in the first network, wherein a first set of functionalities belongs to the first network slice supporting the wireless device, and wherein the first set of functionalities is separated from another set of functionalities out of a total set of functionalities in the first network, wherein the first network slice and the roaming policy for the wireless device in the first network and one or more local network slices and roaming policies are compared and analyzed, and wherein a second network slice and a roaming policy for the wireless device in the second network are determined as a preferred network slice and a preferred roaming policy for the wireless device in the second network.

9

9. The method according to claim 8 , wherein the providing comprises transmitting the policy indication to the second network node.

10

10. The method according to claim 8 , wherein the information of the first network for the wireless device comprises the first network slice and the roaming policy for the wireless device in the first network, and wherein the first network slice and the roaming policy is retrieved from an operations support system node or a business support system node.

11

11. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium, having stored thereon a computer program comprising instructions which, when executed on at least one processor, cause the at least one processor to carry out the method according to claim 8 , as performed by the first network node.

12

12. A second network node for enabling communication for a wireless device in a communication network, wherein the communication network comprises a first network and a second network, wherein the second network node is associated with the second network and the first network is a home network of the wireless device, wherein the first network comprises partitioned sets of functionalities, wherein a first network slice supports the wireless device, and wherein the second network node is configured to: when the wireless device is roaming from the first network to the second network, initiate a connection establishment to a first network node associated with the first network; retrieve a policy indication from the first network node, wherein the policy indication indicates the first network slice and a roaming policy for the wireless device in the first network, wherein a first set of functionalities belongs to the first network slice supporting the wireless device, and wherein the first set of functionalities is separated from another set of functionalities out of a total set of functionalities in the first network; and trigger a selection of a second network slice and a roaming policy for the wireless device in the second network based on the retrieved policy indication and internal data related to the second network, wherein the internal data comprises at least a slice capability of the second network, and wherein the second network node is configured to trigger the selection by being configured to: compare and analyze the retrieved first network slice and the roaming policy for the wireless device in the first network and one or more local network slices and roaming policies; and determine that the second network slice and the roaming policy for the wireless device in the second network are a preferred network slice and a preferred roaming policy for the wireless device in the second network.

13

13. The second network node according to claim 12 , further being configured to receive a connection request from the wireless device comprising a slice indication, wherein the slice indication indicates the first network slice, and wherein the triggered selection is further based on the slice indication.

14

14. The second network node according to claim 12 , being configured to retrieve the policy indication by being configured to: transmit, to the first network node, a policy request to retrieve the policy indication, wherein the policy request comprises data related to the second network and/or wireless device information of the wireless device; and receive the policy indication from the first network node.

15

15. The second network node according to claim 12 , further being configured to: perform the selection of the second network slice and the roaming policy for the wireless device in the second network; and initiate a transmission of a response to the wireless device, wherein the response takes the selected second network slice and the selected roaming policy into account.

16

16. The second network node according to claim 12 , being configured to trigger the selection of the second network slice and the roaming policy by being further configured to: suggest a suggested network slice and a suggested roaming policy for the wireless device in the second network based on the retrieved policy indication and the internal data related to the second network; and transmit the suggested network slice and the suggested roaming policy to a radio access network node associated with the second network.

17

17. The second network node according to claim 12 , wherein the retrieved policy indication further comprises a slice capability for the wireless device in the first network.

18

18. A first network node for enabling communication for a wireless device in a communication network, wherein the communication network comprises a first network and a second network, wherein the first network is a home network of the wireless device, wherein the first network comprises partitioned sets of functionalities, wherein a first network slice supports the wireless device, and wherein the first network node is configured to: when the wireless device is roaming from the first network to the second network, receive a request for a connection establishment to a second network node associated with the second network; receive, from the second network node, a policy request to retrieve a policy indication, wherein the policy request comprises data related to the second network, and wherein the data comprises at least a slice capability of the second network; generate the policy indication based on the data related to the second network and information of the first network for the wireless device; and provide the policy indication to the second network node, wherein the policy indication indicates the first network slice and a roaming policy for the wireless device in the first network, wherein a first set of functionalities belongs to the first network slice supporting the wireless device, and wherein the first set of functionalities is separated from another set of functionalities out of a total set of functionalities in the first network, wherein the first network slice and the roaming policy for the wireless device in the first network and one or more local network slices and roaming policies are compared and analyzed, and wherein a second network slice and a roaming policy for the wireless device in the second network are determined as a preferred network slice and a preferred roaming policy for the wireless device in the second network.

19

19. The first network node according to claim 18 , further being configured to transmit the policy indication to the second network node.

20

20. The first network node according to claim 18 , wherein the information of the first network for the wireless device comprises the first network slice and the roaming policy for the wireless device in the first network, and wherein the first network node is configured to retrieve the first network slice and the roaming policy from an operations support system node or a business support system node.

Patent Metadata

Filing Date

Unknown

Publication Date

July 20, 2021

Inventors

Shunliang ZHANG
Jian WANG

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Cite as: Patentable. “NETWORK NODES AND METHODS PERFORMED THEREIN FOR ENABLING COMMUNICATION IN A COMMUNICATION NETWORK” (11070967). https://patentable.app/patents/11070967

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NETWORK NODES AND METHODS PERFORMED THEREIN FOR ENABLING COMMUNICATION IN A COMMUNICATION NETWORK — Shunliang ZHANG | Patentable